Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, November 8, 2019

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Volume 54, Issue 45 | friday, november 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Saint Mary’s to host Literary Festival College invites over 10 authors for first annual national writing event, dinner, meet-and-greet

By SARA SCHLECHT AND COLLEEN FISCHER Associate News Editor and News Writer

Saint Mary’s will hold its first annual National Literary Festival on Friday and Saturday. Hosted by bestselling author and alumna Adriana Trigiani (’81), the event will feature an additional 10 authors across numerous genres.

A dinner and meet-and-greet with the authors will take place in the Noble Family Dining Hall on Friday, with Trigiani introducing each author at 6 p.m. The dinner is open to all students with a Saint Mary’s meal plan.

“The authors will initially be

seated at tables with their faculty/staff hosts and student hosts, but this event is very informal, so it’s expected that students will feel free to go from table to table talking to the authors,” English department chair Laura Haigwood said in an email.

Saturday’s programming will begin with registration at 11:30 a.m., followed by a ticketed lunch in the Angela Athletic Facility Fieldhouse.

“From 2:15 to 3:15 [p.m.], the gym will be open to anyone who wants to buy books and have them signed by the authors, whether or not they bought a ticket to the

luncheon,” Haigwood said in the email. “This includes students, of course, but also the general public.”

Students from the tri-campus community signed up to volunteer as hosts for the visiting authors. Their duties will include escorting their assigned authors between event locations and making them feel welcome on campus.

Saint Mary’s junior Sarah Catherine Caldwell will be a student host for Trigiani and deliver an invocation before Saturday’s events begin.

“I’m just excited to be around such an amazing writer … and

College to offer women in leadership seminar

By HANNAH THOMAS News Writer

Terri Russ, a communication studies associate professor at Saint Mary’s, will teach a new spring semester seminar on “Women, Leadership, and Communication” beginning in 2020. The seminar is titled “W hy Don’t Women Rule the World?,” taking its name from one of the course texts.

“I used to teach a seminar focused on female beauty and how it operates as a discourse controlling women’s

bodies and existence,” Russ said in an email. “W hile beauty as a discourse still operates in this way, I decided to reframe the class to focus on women as leaders.”

This seminar was inspired by the distinct difference in the number of male executives to female, Russ said.

Women, especially women of color, have still faced inequality in leadership positions, she said.

“There exist many reasons for this inequitable gendered distribution of leadership positions, including the fact that American women

today are still enmeshed in a history of cultural practices that dictate how we should behave and appear,” the syllabus reads.

This seminar will address the expectations women are held to that preclude them from assuming executive positions.

“Daily, we [women] are confronted with these discursive double blinds that demand we be quiet and dainty at the same time we are strong and confident,” the syllabus reads. “These see WOMEN PAGE 4

Alumn reflects on ‘Notre Dame vs. The Klan’

By JOHN SALEM News Writer

Todd Tucker, a member of Notre Dame’s 1990 graduating class, spoke on his book, “Notre Dame vs. The Klan” on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Hesburgh Library Scholars Lounge.

News PAGE 3

“Notre Dame vs. The Klan” was originally published in 2004 after Tucker received offers from multiple publishing companies interested in publishing his story.

“W hy are we still talking about this book today after 16 years? ” Tucker said.

scene PAGE 5

“I think because it is still a pretty shocking, almost unbelievable story.”

The book centers around the events that transpired in South Bend during the height of the Ku Klux Klan’s inf luence in Indiana. The see KLAN PAGE 3

viewpoint PAGE 7

an alumna who is successful in writing and willing to come back to Saint Mary’s and share that with the community,” Caldwell said.

Other authors set for attendance include Saint Mary’s alumna Anna Monardo (’77), Julie Klam and Val Emmich, who wrote “Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel.” A full list of authors in attendance can be found on the event’s webpage.

Julie Klam, author of titles including “The Stars in Our Eyes,” said she looks forward to attending the festival.

“I feel like any time there is an opportunity to bring new

books and authors and discussions about literature to interested people, it is a wonderful thing,” Klam said. “I’ve never been to Indiana. I’m looking forward to meeting people and seeing South Bend and possibly bumping into Mayor Pete and Chasten.”

Another featured author, Susan Fales-Hill, said she is also eager to attend the event, not only for the opportunity to interact with like-minded individuals, but to also share her experiences with the next generation of w riters. see FESTIVAL PAGE 4

Football managers reflect on experiences

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Buck

Managers fulfill one of their main responsibilities, maintaining the football equipment for players before practice and game days.

By MARIA PAUL RANGEL News Writer

In 1759, Adam Smith created the “Invisible Hand” concept.

Though his idea referred to the unobservable forces that move a free market economy, at Notre Dame a similar Invisible Hand allows the football program to run smoothly, making sure the team is equipped with everything it needs to succeed.

Even though students and Irish fans may pay no heed to their efforts, a group of about 24 students are constantly working behind the scenes to

Hockey PAGE 12

maintain the football team’s equipment and travel accommodations. They make sure balls and machinery are present during practices and players have warmers in the cold winter games. From fixing helmets and drying balls to waking up players and creating music playlists for their practices, the football student managers are there to cover the program’s every need.

A four-year program The

program,

which

has

see MANAGERS PAGE 4

ND W basketball PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | friday, november 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

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If you could get coffee with any author (dead or alive) who would it be?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith Managing Editor Charlotte Edmonds

Asst. Managing Editor: Maria Leontaras Asst. Managing Editor: Mary Steurer Asst. Managing Editor: Natalie Weber

Notre Dame News Editor: Tom Naatz Saint Mary’s News Editor: Maeve Filbin

Viewpoint Editor: Evelyn Stein

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Scene Editor: Mike Donovan

Photo Editor: Allison Thornton

Graphics Editor: Diane Park

Social Media Editor: Mary Bernard

Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf

Ad Design Manager: Ruby Le

Systems Administrator: Stephen Hannon Office Manager & General Info

Ellie Lynch

Rebecca Corn

sophomore Le Mans Hall

junior Le Mans Hall

“Shonda Rhimes.”

“J.K. Rowling.”

Grace Gruenings

Annilla Gilmon

junior Le Mans Hall

freshman Regina Hall

“Marirose Osborne and Greta Minnena.”

“Shakespeare.”

Kailey Schramm

Mia Williams

junior Le Mans Hall

junior Le Mans Hall

“Walt Disney.”

“F. Scott Fitzgerald.”

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising

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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Maeve Filbin Callie Patrick Anne Elizabeth Barr

Stephen Hannon Jimmy Ward Colin Capece

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Abby Patrick

Corrections A subhead headline in Thursday’s edition of The Observer inacurrately stated Sister John Miriam Jones as 96 at the time of her death. She was 95.

The Observer regrets this error.

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

The Notre Dame Irish Guard sways arm-in-arm, singing the Notre Dame Alma Mater at the Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech football game Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. After a game of back-and-forth, Notre Dame won by a one-point margin.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Lecture: “Radical Potentials, Conservative Realities” Jordan Hall of Science 3:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Play: “Pineapple” Debartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Tickets available online.

Concert: Stefan Engels Debartolo Performing Arts Center 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Organist performs.

Lecture: “The Buddha’s Footprint” 1030 Jenkins-Nanovic Halls 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Open to public.

Tri-Military ROTC Veterans Day Ceremony Clarke Memorial Fountain 4 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.

Fall Concert: Notre Dame Chorale Leighton Concert Hall 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Tickets available online.

Discernment Retreat Moreau Seminary all day All male college undergrads are invited to register online.

Conference: “Building Sustainable Peace” Notre Dame Campus all day Open to the public.

Baraka Bouts: Semifinals Dahnke Ballroom 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Proceeds to benefit Holy Cross Missions.

Irish Art and Music in Conversation Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 8, 2019 | The Observer

3

Professor talks LGBTQ rights, religious liberty

By ZIXU WANG News Writer

Andrew Koppelman, a professor of law and political science at Northwestern Universit y, gave a talk dissecting the debate surrounding the conf lict bet ween gay rights and religious libert y in a lecture Thursday in Jenkins-Nanov ic Halls. The lecture was sponsored by the Constitutional Studies Program and the Program on Church, State and Societ y at the Notre Dame Law School.

Koppelman began by posing a question.

“Should religious people who conscientiously object to facilitating same-sex weddings and who therefore decline to prov ide cakes, photography or other serv ices be exempted from anti-discrimination laws? ” Koppelman said. “This issue has taken on an importance that’s far beyond the tiny number of wedding vendors who’ve made such claims.

Each side’s position has become more uny ielding.”

Koppelman said though both sides of such conf licts regarded themselves

as v ictims of one another, it is important they reach a compromise.

“Most Americans would like to live in peace, and are w illing to consider the possibilit y to accommodate other people’s perspectives and fears,” he said.

LGBTQ and religious groups attack each other due to the lack of knowledge of the other side, Koppelman said.

“In order to to achieve accommodation, the first step is to stop judging others characters from their perspectives,” Koppelman said.

“No accommodation can be realized if you denounce others’ personalit y.”

The second step is destigmatization, he said.

“Contamination goes beyond discrimination which derogates one’s dignit y and should be prohibited,” Koppelman said. “Then, we need to stop using ver y general principles to argue w ith each other. Sticking on principle does no good to reconciliation. We only care about principles because we care about people.”

He said the right thing to

do is to consider others’ interests and work out a solution agreed by all parties.

Koppelman referenced the 2018 Supreme Court case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civ il Rights Commission, in which a cake shop refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The case evolved into a debate over whether or not the ow ners of public accommodations can refuse to prov ide ser v ices based on the right to free speech and free exercise of religion protected by the First Amendment.

Similar cases have added to the controversy.

Koppelman suggested there are many solutions for situations like these.

“You can have the exception for small business or religious-orientated business, and make objections clear to public in advance,” he said.

Moreover, religious freedom is all about tolerance of ideas, Koppelman said.

“Both sexual minorities and religious conser vatives want the space to leave out their beliefs and identities,” Koppelman said.

“No side stands on moral

fundamental, nor should they predicate the others’ life wrong and shouldn’t exist.”

Based on this mutual tolerance, Koppelman said he believes in the very dignity, acceptance and equal treatment of LGBTQ groups, but he also believes “society should be a safe place where those who don’t conform to the major norms … can leave their life in peace and security.”

W hile mutual education and tolerance could be a way to accommodate LGBTQ groups and religious conservatives, the more substantial reconciliation ref lects on people who identif y as LGBTQ and Catholic, he said.

Greg Bourke, a Notre Dame alumnus who identifies as Catholic and gay, was one of the plaintiffs of Obergefell v. Hodges which guaranteed the right to marriage to same-sex couples in the United States.

Bourke said he struggled w ith his faith and sex orientation in the ’70s.

“I recognized that my sexual orientation was immutable but my faith was

important as well,” Bourke said. “The only possibilit y to remain in the faith was not expressing my sexual orientation at all. I continued to practice my faith regularly but under the don’t-askdon’t-tell circumstances.”

He said he achieved reconciliation bet ween his sexual orientation and faith after “painful deliberation” in 1976.

“I was gay because that was the way that God created me, not because of any failing on my part,” he said. “If that was God’s work and intention, I had no business doubting or questioning that. I started to work to have people within the Church slowly change their opinions about LGBT people. I believe that over these 40 years that I have been openly gay and practicing my faith, opinions among Catholics have swung dramatically and that now most believe that LGBTQ people should not be discriminated against and should be fully included in Catholic Church.”

Contact Zixu Wang at zwang27@nd.edu

Saint Mary’s to put on murder mystery play

By JULIANNA McKENNA News Writer

From Thursday through Saturday, a myster y w ill need to be solved at Saint Mar y’s, as the Saint Mar y’s Theatre Department w ill be presenting “A Part y to Murder,” a contemporar y murder myster y play.

The show’s plot is full of traditional murder myster y elements combined w ith a contemporar y stor yline making it an enjoyable show for all audiences, the production’s director, professor Katie Sullivan, said.

“The play is a murder myster y in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie, although given some fun contemporar y t w ists as it is set in the late 1990s in an old cottage

Klan Continued from page 1

t wo ma in players of t he stor y a re Fat her Wa lsh, t he t henpresident of t he Universit y, a nd D.C. Stephenson, one of t he most power f u l members of t he K la n at t he t ime.

“Ever y good stor y needs a rea l ly compel ling bad g uy, a nd t hat’s D.C. Stephenson,” Tucker sa id.

Stephenson was most ly involved in t he K la n as a way to ma ke money, t hough, as Tucker notes, “he was

on a remote island,” Sullivan said in an email. “There’s a surprise ending that w ill catch ever yone by surprise.

The play has it all.”

In recent years, the Theatre Department has produced many dramas.

This year, they decided to explore the myster y genre since the show comes shortly after Halloween.

“It has been a ver y long time since we have explored the myster y genre here at Saint Mar y’s. We decided that it would be perfect because of when the show fell on the calendar,” Sullivan said. “Students were excited by the idea and wanted to get involved. We have students working backstage running special effects, building blood bags, mov ing

scener y, changing out props and of course, working on the roles.”

Senior Becca Strom said she enjoys performing and that the cast has had fun working together.

“We have four Saint Mar y’s students in the cast, professor [Bill] Svelmoe from the Histor y Department and a communit y member from the South Bend Civ ic [Theater]. I really liked the cast a lot, we have a good time together. Even though doing a show can be stressful, we all have made some good friendships,” Strom said.

Svelmoe said participating in shows at Saint Mar y’s helps create a unique communit y.

“I’d never acted before I

came to Saint Mar y’s, so I got my start acting here w ith students. I’ve learned an awful lot from students over the years and I still enjoy coming back even though I’m doing shows all over the area” he said. “It’s a great way to get to work w ith students in a different setting outside the classroom. We are just people doing a show together. That’s one of the wonderful things about theatre, it creates these unique communities.”

Svelmoe hopes people w ill be excited to come out and see the show because it w ill be entertaining.

“It’s just going to be fun. It w ill be great way for people to come out and have a good time solv ing a fun myster y,” he said.

Strom said theatre is always a fun way to get involved on campus. There are always different opportunities for involvement.

“Shows are always a great way for students to get involved, whether it’s through main stage shows like this one, or doing backstage work,” she said. “There’s a ton of opportunities and you don’t need to have experience.”

“A Party to Murder” opens in the LittleTheatre at Moreau Center for the Arts this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and runs Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. as well. The finale will take place Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

cer ta in ly racist.”

A f ter being involved in a k idnapping t hat resu lted in t he deat h of a woma n, Stephenson was t hrow n in prison, where he cont inued to operate t he K la n’s act ions. He pla nned for t he K la n to orga ni ze a pa rade in Sout h Bend for t wo ma in reasons.

“The K la n in India na used t hese pa rades as a recr uiting vehicle, a nd it was natura l for t hem to hold one in Sout h Bend, t he second most popu lous cit y in t he state,” Tucker sa id.

It was likely t hat t he K la n put on t he pa rade in Sout h Bend in order to get a react ion f rom t he Cat holic students at Not re Da me, Tucker sa id, most of which lived of f ca mpus in t he cit y at t he t ime.

The K la n’s act ions elicited a major react ion, w it h t he students riot ing at t he pa rade a nd causing genera l mayhem by stea ling ma ny of t he K la nsmen’s robes.

The K la n did not ta ke t hese act ions sitt ing dow n, however, Tucker sa id.

“They ca lled t he ca mpus

a nd sa id t hey were holding a Not re Da me student hostage,” he sa id. “The Not re Da me students went back, but t his t ime t he K la n was wa it ing for t hem a nd t he law was wa it ing for t hem.”

Nobody was k i l led in t he ensuing riot, t hough ma ny bones were broken a nd ma ny shots were f ired.

The situat ion raged on for severa l hours unt i l Wa lsh brought t he boys back to ca mpus a nd away f rom t he v iolence.

Interest ingly, Tucker sa id, t he event spurred much of t he dorm

bui lding t hat took place during t he 30s a nd 40s as Wa lsh wa nted to keep t he students on ca mpus to avoid a not her incident.

Shor t ly a f ter t his occurrence, t he K la n’s power in India na diminished ex ponent ia l ly, a nd t hey were soon completely out of power by t he 1930s, he sa id.

“W hen you have lived w it h t his stor y for 15 yea rs, t he K la n never rea l ly goes away,” Tucker sa id.

Contact Julianna McKenna at jmckenna01@saintmarys.edu

Contact John Salem at jsalem@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | friday, november 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Women Continued from page 1

then are the assumptions on which this course is based … that even today women, despite greater access to educational resources, still confront inequitable access to formal leadership roles.”

The course will begin by examining Kimberlé Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality and “the

Managers Continued from page 1

three divisions — operations, equipment and personnel — is designed with a tiered model, with managerial duties increasing each academic year. First year students, the largest group, work as volunteers, shadowing upperclassmen.

Sophomores have greater responsibilities, having to work during home games. At the end of the year, eight students are chosen to continue the program as juniors, selections being made through peer-evaluation. Juniors are then able to work both home and away games, and, when the year comes to an end, four are selected to be the senior managers, who have the tasks of overseeing the program and training members.

During the year, the football student managers tackle both academic and work responsibilities, juggling not only the challenges present a college student’s reality but also the responsibilities associated with the jobs.

In the summer, these students stay on campus in order to assist during the football team’s practices. Once the college football season begins, they must not only attend practice, but also prepare the home games and travel with the team when they play away from Notre Dame. Though one might imagine a student manager’s work ends once the season comes to an end, but during the spring semester, students must

role it plays in how we ‘do’ identity and how all identity expectations are formalized through systemic and structural mechanisms that reinforce dominant gendered norms,” the syllabus states.

Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” in 1989 to describe the intersection of race, gender and social status within identity.

Many more topics and discussions will take place to get

students to think critically about career development for women and the barriers they could potentially face, Russ said.

“I hope they will gain a comprehensive understanding of the various obstacles they are likely to face as they enter the world after college and dare to take on the label of ‘leader,’” Russ said.

Russ said she hopes students will be more prepared for their futures as they work towards their

goals, keeping in mind they might face challenges that could potentially limit their ambitions.

“One of the key things this class offers is opening a space in which students can reflect on what it means to be a woman in 2020 and hear about the experiences of women who are actively engaging with being a leader during a time when women are still considered lesser-than,” Russ said.

There will be guest speakers

throughout the course to offer different perspectives into being a female in today’s workforce.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to not only discuss what it means to be a woman leader at this moment in time, but also to allow for multi-generational collaboration and support,” Russ said.

continue attending practices, make the Blue and Gold game a reality and train the incoming class of managers who will take over the senior’s responsibilities once the year ends.

“There’s really no off season in this job,” Notre Dame senior Harrison Kranz said. “We’re there for practices, games, winter workouts, conditioning and [the] summer.”

routine regarding the tasks they must complete, Saint Mary’s senior Jennifer Buck said every day brings a new surprise, meaning she must always be “on her toes.”

“You never really know what a coach might want,” Buck said.

“It’s hard to plan ahead because you just kind of have to be in the moment and adjust to what they want, and that’s kind of hard.”

Hart said some days might be harder than others, and that sticking through is definitely important.

“Sometimes you don’t have the best days and sometimes something goes bad at practice, but there are days where everything just perfectly fits together,” Hart said. “It’s a lot of rolling with the punches, and if something happens you just have to adapt and overcome.”

Kranz believes this adaptability is an important skill to have while working behind the scenes, especially since “the job of manager is to not be noticed,” he said.

everything from packing trucks for traveling and tying the players’ shoes to waking the team up at hotels and making sure they get the nutrition they need. As such, an enormous part of their job is spent with the football players.

“Traveling with the players is really fun and going to all these places where I wouldn’t be able to go otherwise,” Notre Dame senior John Geppert said. “We also get to work with coaches and other incredible people.”

Spending that much time with the team not only means these students know the songs they like to hear during practices — “they like ‘Circle of Bosses’ and ‘God’s Warrior’ a lot,” Geppert said — but they also build relationships with players that translate into greater cooperation and success in their work.

Yet, perhaps one of the most meaningful relationships they cultivate during their four years in the program is the one they share with each other, Geppert said.

“I really love the relationship you form with other managers,” he said. “The work can be hard and tedious, but we have a great group of kids.”

Saint Mary’s senior Molly Hart agrees that having a close-knit group of people to work with is one of her favorite parts of the job and considers last year’s trip to the Cotton Bowl one of her favorite memories.

“I really enjoyed our week-long trip to the Cotton Bowl because we’re already a close group, but we

spent a lot of time together, hanging out in the hotels and spending Christmas together,” Hart said.

Always on their toes Like any other student, Kranz wakes up and attends classes in order to complete his accounting degree. Around 2 p.m., his role changes from student to football student manager.

In a normal practice day, Kranz heads to Guglielmino Athletics Complex, or “the Gug,” in the afternoon and takes attendance to make sure all 120 players are present. Then, he sets up for practice and makes sure that scheduling and itinerary tasks are ready in case the team is traveling.

Afterwards, Kranz goes out to the field to check that all the necessary equipment is there. Finally, he oversees post-practice recovery for the players and leaves at around 7 p.m.

On game days, the football managers arrive at the stadium at 8 a.m. in order to make all the arrangements for the day.

“Basically, everything you see on game day are things we set up,” Kranz said. “Long days, but they are definitely really rewarding.”

Even though there is a certain

Building Relationships Howbeit their mission is to remain as unnoticeable as possible, their support is not invisible to the football team, junior linebacker Reed Gregory said.

“Without the managers, practice would be chaos,” he said.

“They always have everything ready to go so no time is wasted.

We need managers during the week so we can be successful on Saturday.”

Football student managers do

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Festival Continued from page 1

“I’m looking forward to convening with an extraordinary and diverse group of authors who are united in their love for the written word, and their firm belief in the power of story telling,” Fales-Hill said in an email. “At my stage of life, it’s also a delight and highly illuminating to interface with young people. This generation faces many challenges, most of them not of their making, as an ‘elder,’ I want to do my part to help them before I leave this earthly plane.”

According to the event’s web page, proceeds from the literary festival will support future literary events at the College.

Contact Sara Schlecht at sschlecht01@saintmarys.edu and Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Hannah Thomas at hthomas01@saintmarys.edu

Looking back on their time together Even though they work arduously as football student managers, the sentiment Buck, Geppert, Hart and Kranz said they shared was one of deep gratitude for the program.

Looking back on the four years they have spent on the job, the group of four considered that, despite the difficulties associated with their work, the football manager program has been an important part of their time in college.

“It’s definitely a great commitment, and so it’s hard to commit yourself to something where you’re not there to get recognition and you’re not there for the spotlight,” Kranz said. “But, I think it’s an awesome experience and you gain so much from it.”

Buck provided a piece of advice for the first-year students who are beginning the program this year and will eventually fill in her shoes.

“I want the freshmen to know that it’ll be difficult and that there will be moments when they’ll maybe want to quit, especially when school gets hard, but it’s so worth it to stick with it as long as you can because you learn so much from this experience,” she said. “Push through the hard times.”

Contact Maria Paul Rangel at mrangel@nd.edu

5

The observer | friday, november 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer

In 2014, director Robert Stromberg released “Maleficent,” a spin-off of the famous 1959 animated Disney film, “Sleeping Beauty.” The movie was considered a commercial hit in the box office and even received an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. So it came as no surprise that, five years later, a new director, Joachim Rønning released a sequel to “Maleficent” entitled “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.”

The film takes place five years after the events of its predecessor. Aurora (Elle Fanning) reigns as Queen of the Moors, with Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) as its protector. Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) proposes to Aurora and takes her to the kingdom of Ulstead, where people still see Maleficent as a villain. As a result of this, the power-hungry queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) attempts to kill Maleficent after Maleficent seemingly cursed her husband. After Maleficent is wounded, Ingrith goes to war with the Dark Fae. Unlike the first film, where it concentrated on retelling the plot of “Sleeping Beauty” in a darker way, the sequel goes out of its way to tell a more gripping story of who Maleficent is as a Dark Fae. It was interesting to see a more underground and secret organization of the Dark Fae, who had despised humans since time began.

By ELIZABETH GREGORY Scene Writer

Mikaela Straus, also known as King Princess, embraces duality and depth in all aspects of her music and persona. Even her stage name exudes unmistakable cheeky swagger and nonbinary energy. “Cheap Queen,” released Oct. 25, further reveals Straus’ ability to exist beyond one moment or label.

Straus’ burgeoning status as both a queer and pop icon has been a long time coming. The star knew she was queer from childhood and said she came out around age 13. Likewise, her musical ambitions began early, with record deals coming as soon as age 11.

Straus grew up surrounded by music — her father runs Brooklyn’s Mission Sound studio. However, rather than morphing into a mindless industry plant, Straus’ exposure honed her production skills and helped inform her incredible debut.

“Cheap Queen” had all eyes on it after Straus’ single, “1950,” achieved viral fame through a Harry Styles tweet. Luckily, the album rises to the occasion happily. “1950” references queer literary canon, however “Cheap Queen” takes this a step further by outwardly, loudly and proudly presenting a queer narrative.

The title references drag culture and her songs

In regards to Ingrith vs. the Moors, that is the whole concept of the film. That is another reason why this film was so dark and — according to critics — why the plot was all over the place. It’s a shame too, because the Ulstead subplot was a key component to the final act of the film during what was supposed to be Phillip and Aurora’s wedding, which ended up turning into a complete massacre of the Moors denizens. The addition of more Dark Fae adds a darker undertone to the film, which was a sort of a downfall of the film. The filmmakers spent way too much time on Ingrith’s descent into madness and chaos and not a lot of time on the Dark Fae. the special effects and the CGI give it a dated feel. The special effects came into play during the climax of the film when a crimson powder (iron) is used and it looks too outdated, mostly due to the fact that the powder looked like rusted smoke. The CGI was no better either, mostly in the parts with the Dark Fae and their hideout.

Maleficent’s magic looked fake and seemed to be rushed.

The film was beautifully made and the actors did an outstanding job in bringing this masterpiece to life. Jolie and Fanning’s performances stole the show, as well as Pfeiffer and Chitwetel Ejiolfor (Conall, leader of the Dark Fae.) The supporting cast was also great throughout the 118-minute runtime, especially with Imelda Staunton, who played Knotgrass, one of the fairies from the previous film.

The cinematography and editing definitely worked hand-in-hand The set designs are some of the best set designs ever put in a Disney film. The use of wide angle shots and lighting really help set the tone of the film. The costumes — ranging from brightly colored clothing to the black colored clothing — are also a really great aspect of the film from both Maleficent’s to her servant’s, the raven, Diaval (Sam Riley).

All in all, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a good successor to the first film. The combination of stellar performances from the cast, the cinematography, editing, set designs and costumes gives the film a darker undertone and sets in motion what could be the greatest live-action sequel made in Disney. The only downsides are the plot, special effects and CGI. If anyone was a fan of the first film, then the second film is just right for them.

explicitly, with gendered pronouns, describe her relationships with women. In today’s climate, this may seem like no big deal. However, the norm, especially in pop music, is only just beginning to shift towards a less heteronormative standard. King Princess recognizes this and takes the challenge head-on, crafting a gorgeous pop debut centered around her love and heartbreak with another woman.

The influences on King Princess’ album are abundant and reflective of a lifetime’s appreciation of good sounds. On the surface, it is easy to categorize the work as stoner pop, perfect for a night in with good friends.

Straus even sings in the first track “Cheap Queen,” about “Smoking joints like it’s my job / ’Cause that’s what my dream was.” A second look, however, reveals sounds from many different eras of pop music: classic Gen-Z beats, blues, ’70s rock, Zeppelin and the Beatles.

Her eclectic sound manages to stay mindful of pop’s current temperature, while honoring her favorite past tactics.

The story of heartbreak in “Cheap Queen” affects audiences with its outpouring of emotions and hardhitting statements. It does all this in short songs, perfect for the modern era of quick listening. The album is over in a mere 38 minutes for 13 tracks. However, within the confines of these short songs, Straus creates a

whirlwind of love, vulnerability and cocky jibes. Straus contrasts an honest and critical self-image, crooning “I can’t be the million girls you’re going to meet,” with cockier moments, like telling an ex “You’re probably just a fan now, babe.” She uses her songs to create moments of pain in a queer relationship: in “Homegirl,” the vibraphone waltz underscores a sad reflection: “We’re friends at the party, I’ll give you my body at home”; in “Isabel’s Moment,” an ex is compared to the forgotten clothing still in Straus’ drawer; and in “Watching my Phone,” she creates the unbearable tension of the emptiness on the screen.

King Princess debut is a powerful intro and enthusiastic triumph for queer women everywhere.

Contact Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” Starring: Elle Fanning and Angelina Jolie Directed by: Robert Stromberg Genre: Fantasy/Action If You Like: “Maleficent,” “Sleeping Beauty”

Contact Elizabeth Gregory at egregor4@nd.edu

“Cheap Queen” Artist: “Cheap Queen” Label: Columbia Records, Zelig Records Favorite Tracks: “Hit the Back,” “Homegirl” If You Like: Lorde, Mark Ronson, Hayley Kiyoko, Clairo

DIANE PARK | The Observer

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The observer | friday, November 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Design education at Notre Dame – it has potential!

Diane Park Graphics Editor

If you know any Notre Dame design student, it’s highly likely the major they began college with wasn’t design. It would be on the more surprising side of things if they had, in fact, come to Notre Dame for the design program. It isn’t very large and simply isn’t very well known.

As someone who added the industrial design major after already coming to college myself, I do appreciate I found a major that allows me to do what I’ve discovered as my passion: creative problem solving.

But there are a lot of opportunities, too, for the rather forgotten design major to grow into something even greater — specifically at Notre Dame.

The technical and aesthetic skills of design that are more intensely taught at art institutes, as opposed to traditional four-year universities, do appear to be a competitive advantage on the front end of design education. However, professors at Notre Dame are always emphasizing the importance of a well-rounded designer — who can tackle design problems through ideation, research and problem solving more than focusing purely on its visuals.

While ideal in thought, this doesn’t quite translate as successfully in the real world. Especially as job searching becomes increasingly relevant, I’m finding a few more ways that Notre Dame’s “well-roundedness” seems to be hurting more than helping.

This past fall break, I attended Advanced Design’s SQ1 Conference, a design conference in San Francisco where design students could had the opportunity to visit design consultancies and network with peers and professionals. I found that while everyone would say grit and intelligence are crucial to types of designers they hire, the bottom line is that those qualities never really outweigh skill.

So, maybe it’s just the imposter syndrome speaking, but do Notre Dame design students have what it takes to compete with everyone else in the competitive pool? One of our professors said himself that students could get the design degree doing the bare minimum required — 32 credit hours — but realistically, that alone would never get them a design job.

This does seem concerning, but there is also something special about Notre Dame’s design program that I know I have personally benefited greatly from. I’m an industrial design and sociology doublemajor, with a minor in digital marketing, and even if I wasn’t officially under these categories, Notre Dame is fairly supportive in allowing design students to supplement their creative interests with an academic complement.

But this leaves the department at kind of an impasse. Students should be able to develop their design thinking just as much as their skill, but how do you allocate enough time to develop both? How can the school better support students pursuing a combination of academia and art?

Ultimately, I think it comes down to a matter of time. This might be an example other majors can also relate to, but why are two classes required for both philosophy and theology each? Are two sciences the absolute best use of credit hours for a design major? General education is, of course, absolutely necessary. But could there be more flexibility or exceptions to planning the best education for each major? The design curriculum, especially, receives little attention, and although more efforts have been made to stay up-to-date, it could be even more effective.

If there’s anything I’ve learned about design, it’s that — contrary to popular belief — it isn’t about how pretty you can make something.

It’s all about how much value something you actually create can bring to real world issues and problems. I believe a traditional university education brings so much to a designer’s career, but the combination of academics and creatives need to be better implemented. Design is unique because it requires innovation and a desire to make a physical difference to the everyday problems that others might only be able to observe or study. And I think Notre Dame has the ability to make the best use of its resources to truly make a perfectly well-rounded and quality designer, if the university would invest a bit more specific attention to its very unique needs.

Contact Diane Park at dpark5@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

President Trump’s fun history with Native Americans On Oct. 31, President Trump issued a proclamation declaring November, “National American History and Founders Month.” Celebrating the nation’s history and commitment to liberties and connecting it to efforts today “fuels us in our efforts to confront the challenges that face our citizens here at home, including protecting precious religious liberties, securing our nation’s borders and combating the opioid crisis,” the proclamation states. Many would find issue with the focus on border security and religious liberty instead of real issues such as inhumane concentration camps at the border, an atrocious healthcare system that fails citizens or rampant inequality.

But while the entire framing of the proclamation is laughable based on President Trump’s record, it was the apparent absence of any mention of something that has been present since President H.W. Bush: Native American Heritage Month.

After a brief period of confusion on whether this “Founders Month” would replace the only federal recognition of Native people, it was revealed Native American Heritage Month was not gone, but simply sharing the month with an already-bastardized version of American history that seems to celebrating a founding based upon violence and conquest. Many, including myself, saw this as an attempt to subvert Native American Heritage Month without outright eliminating it. Normally, I would chalk this up to an unfortunate coincidence that resulted from innocent ignorance of the impact of such a proclamation, but given the record of Trump, I find this hard to believe.

On principle, I don’t really oppose a founders month as long as it is handled correctly. The glorification of the founders is one that personally annoys me, but I think a day or month such as this can actually be used as an educational tool in which a more nuanced story of the founding can emerge. But of course, under a President Trump, nuance is not really a factor.

Back to Trump, his contempt for Native people seems to stem from his humiliation at the hands of Northeastern tribes that challenged his business with casinos in the area. In response to federal Indian gaming policies, Trump alleged that tribes had ties to the criminal underworld, which is humorous considering Trump’s own history with the mafia.

He later testified in front of a House subcommittee.

Here he doubled down on his comments, saying organized crime was rampant on Indian reservations.

Normally, this would have been the biggest story, as it was unfounded and insane. But another of his comments took the spotlight. This was the infamous

clip of Trump saying, “They don’t look like Indians to me.” Trump’s friend Roger Stone later tried to justify the comment by saying the Eastern tribes had intermarried with African Americans, saying, “The people you meet are Native Americans, but they’re also black.”

Trump then went on to spend more than $1 million in ads again alleging that the Mohawk Indian tribe had connections to organized crime and extensive criminal records. At the end of the ad was the question, “Are these the new neighbors we want?”

I’m not sure I need to even really comment on why this ad alone should have disqualified him from public life.

This contempt, probably coming from his embarrassment, did not stop when he was elected to the highest office of the land. He has continually used “Pocahontas” to mock Senator Elizabeth Warren for her own troubling relation to Native people, even while honoring the Navajo Code Talkers. He has repeatedly expressed admiration for Andrew Jackson, the president probably most known for committing genocide with the Indian Removal Act of 1830, even going so far as to hang his portrait in the Oval Office.

He has made references to the Wounded Knee Massacre to mock Senator Warren.

Trump’s actions as president have also contributed to my belief that he holds contempt for Native people. Whether it is reducing the size of Bears Ears, proposing cuts to various programs that assist Natives, promoting voter suppression (please visit fourdirectionsvote.com to learn more about this), advancing the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines as well as running concentration camps that imprison our Indigenous relatives to the South. These are just a few, you can read more at culturalsurvival.org.

It seems Trump’s declaration of a “Founders Month” joins the long list of slights against Native people. Again, Native American Heritage Month is the only federally recognized day or month for the first inhabitants of this land. Celebrating “the founders” to subvert this is another racist action of a man with too many to count. Trump receiving the benefit of the doubt wore out as soon as he made his charges against Native people decades ago. As Native people continue to fight for rights and recognition, it is important to recognize the president is openly hostile to our humanity.

Mikey Boyd (Sicangu Oyate) junior Nov. 7

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The observer | friday, November 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

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Keep the family affair fair Notre Dame sometimes feels like a family affair. We all know a fifth-generation Domer whose first words were “Go Irish!” The University’s mission to maintain a certain number of legacy students solidifies this trend; five years ago, Notre Dame committed to reserving a certain number of spots in each class for children of alumni.

We must remember, however, the Notre Dame family extends far beyond legacies. This week, our campus celebrates a group of students whose experiences often differ from the legacy community’s. Known as “first-generation students,” these are students who are the first in their families to attend college. The inaugural First Generation and Low Income Student Week affords us an opportunity to think about the challenges these students face, from the admissions process to collegiate life to post-graduation, and celebrate their successes.

To learn about the first-generation experience on campus, The Observer spoke with five first-generation students from the tri-campus community: Notre Dame senior Charlie Ortega Guifarro, Notre Dame junior Lena Do, a Saint Mary’s senior who asked to be identified as “GC,” Holy Cross sophomore Cody Rieckhoff and a 2019 Notre Dame alumnus, Rathin Kacham. (Editor’s Note: Ortega is a photographer for The Observer.)

Each student interviewed commended their respective institution’s efforts to support first-generation students, but also made clear that much work remains to ensure firstgeneration students don’t fall through the cracks — especially at the beginning of their college careers.

Difficulties begin during the admissions process. The University does not go far enough to get in touch with prospective first-generation students during their college search, the Notre Dame respondents asserted. If Notre Dame wishes to be a source of support, the University cannot take such a passive role in the application process. By definition, first-generation students come from households

where the parents have no personal experience with the college experience. If first-generations students want help, they typically must rely on outside sources, such as high school guidance counselors — who are often stretched thin working with other students — or external programs like QuestBridge.

Once they’ve arrived on campus, first-generation students often struggle to adjust to college life. Academics, for instance, can be difficult because they don’t know what to expect, the students told The Observer. Culture shock is another serious problem. Several students said they were not accustomed to the frequent displays of wealth in the community. “It isn’t just the money, it’s the culture of wealth,” Kacham said. “I felt like I was being thrown into a space that I didn’t belong in because I didn’t have the wealth to afford it.”

The students from Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s said the communities lack a robust support system for first-generation students. They reported a sense of loneliness from the fact that no one seemed to understand their situation. They were not granted a way to contact other first-generation students who might be experiencing the same sentiments — which greatly impacted their overall experiences.

The three schools have undertaken a few commendable measures to help first-generation students adjust.

Holy Cross makes a point of connecting first-generation students with each other, as well as with professors from a similar background. Saint Mary’s Belles Connect strives to connect first-generation and minority students before arriving on campus. Notre Dame respondents praised the 3-year-old Office of Student Enrichment — the campus group responsible for helping under-resourced students enjoy their Notre Dame experience — for its deep level of care.

Nevertheless, there is still progress to be made. Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s, especially, must do more to connect first-generation students and make sure they feel supported as they find their footing. A support network is always important, but especially so for these students as they start their college journeys.

We also challenge students who are not first generation to listen respectfully and attentively to their first-generation friends. Some of the students interviewed mentioned the prevalence of stereotyping on campus. “We’re not necessarily poor,” Ortega Guifarro said. “We’re not stupid. We made it to Notre Dame. We are pretty nervous about being here, but we want to succeed obviously. And it would help if y’all just gave us a little time — time to adjust.”

Each student’s journey to South Bend is different. Not everyone was groomed for a Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s or Holy Cross education since the cradle. We should embrace the diversity of experiences present at our schools as one of our community’s strengths.

Families hold each other up. If our schools are truly the families we say they are, we cannot let any of our fellow students fall through the cracks. No one should have to face the challenges of college life alone — least of all the first-generation pioneers taking a step into the unknown.

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

Open letter to my better half Krista Lourdes Akiki Lifestyle Nomad

Dear Sister, Yes, I am indeed writing about all I love about you in the old-fashioned letter-writing method. But wait, before you roll your eyes at me, did anyone else write you a letter through a column in a newspaper?

This idea has crossed my mind several times throughout the past couple of months. However, I would always toss it aside, too afraid of appearing vulnerable, too afraid of showing the world what it was that I genuinely and truly cared about. Funny enough, a couple of days ago you reminded me yet again that being vulnerable and putting yourself out there was in no way a sign of weakness.

I remember how not long ago every time we’d fight, my anger-driven self would look at Mom and say, “You just had to have another kid, right?!” I remember the times where you’d catch me wearing your clothes and threaten to never speak to me again if I didn’t take them off. You’d always let it go a few minutes later.

Now that I’m not there to steal your clothes or kick you out of my room, I can’t help but miss the little things about you. I miss your hugs. I miss the crazy weird nicknames you’d come up with for me. You always made sure they were on another level of cringe. Now I realize that no one can come up with nicknames even half as good as yours (people here are surprisingly not big fans of nicknames.)

I love how people look at our pictures and their automatic response is “Oh, so you’re twins!” Yes, we look exactly alike. Yes, the other day we were wearing the same exact outfit by pure coincidence. No, we’re not twins.

I love how whenever I go too long without texting you, you’ll leave a message or voicemail saying “Hi (insert

cringey nickname here), just making sure you’re still alive!”

I love how whenever you go out, you’ll take pictures of my favorite spots back home and text something like “soon! :)” By the way, this countdown you’re doing for winter break is everything!

I love how you support my writing. Even when it’s 1 a.m. back in Lebanon and all you want to do is pass out on your bed, you’ll still wait for me to send you a draft of my column. You’ll read it word-for-word and give me your feedback. You always end your texts with “I’m proud of you.”

I love how you will randomly text me to remind me to smile. I love how when I’m having a bad day, you’ll keep reminding me of all that I can achieve. You have always cheered me on and celebrated even the smallest of my accomplishments.

I love how whenever anything remotely good happens during my day you are the first person I want to tell. My initial reaction is to pick up my phone and dial your number. I even sometimes wake you up in the middle of the night (oops!). You still listen to me talk about things that really wouldn’t change much in your life for a decent halfhour. I really don’t know how you do it.

What I love most about you is that you keep me grounded. Whenever I feel overloaded and I feel anxiety catching up you always remind me that perfection does not equal happiness. You are the one who continuously reminds me to let go, to prioritize and to take a break. Although you’re the youngest, you’d be surprised by how much you’ve taught me. I am in awe of your spirit, your positive energy and your big, kind heart. You remind me that worrying is normal. You remind me that being afraid is normal. You remind me of my favorite saying which I sometimes ironically forget, “Everything magical happens outside your comfort zone.”

As I look at the baby picture of us on my phone’s lock screen, all I can think of is that recent Instagram post you shared with me “Dear friend who lives far away, can you airdrop yourself to me please? I miss you.”

Best, Your annoying older sister PS: Stop wearing the clothes I left back home! Oh, and by the way, I love you.

Krista Lourdes Akiki is majoring in management consultancy and global affairs. Coming from Beirut, Lebanon, she always enjoys trying out new things and is an avid travel lover. She hopes to take her readers on her journey as she discovers new lifestyles and navigates new cities. She can be reached at kakiki@nd.edu or via Twitter @kristalourdesakiki The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

RENEE YASEEN | The Observer

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DAILY

The observer | friday, november 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Pay attention to detail, and make adjustments to compensate for mistakes. Live up to your expectations, dreams and desires, and refuse to let anything stand between you and the image you have in your head of where you see yourself heading. Don’t let failures or disappointment discourage you from picking yourself up and striving for perfection. Your numbers are 5, 11, 24, 29, 34, 37, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take inventory, and you’ll separate what’s valuable from what isn’t. Have a garage sale or make a donation to your favorite charity. Make plans with the person or people you want to spend time with as you move forward.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Leave nothing to chance. The more willing you are to do the work required to get what you want, the less interference you’ll encounter.

Someone will be eager to take over or steal your ideas if you are too accommodating.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Consider what it is you want. An opportunity will surface if you take the initiative to follow a path that has merit and supports your beliefs. Check your motives and build your own fortress instead of choosing to join someone else’s dream.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A partnership is favored. Express your interest and your ideas in an opportunity you come across, and you’ll get the support you need to follow through with your plan. Children and seniors will offer an innocent -- but valid -- point of view.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Personal improvements should be where you focus your time and energy. Look at what’s involved and the cost of anything you want to pursue.

Price match and barter if you don’t want to be shortchanged.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Refuse to let a situation grow into something unmanageable. Take a practical approach, and be clear about what you are willing to do and willing to tolerate. If you want positive change to unfold, call the shots.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Put more time into research, and do things right the first time. Cutting corners will leave you in a quandary that will lead to criticism. Don’t count on others to do the work for you. Be transparent regarding your intentions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Truth, honesty and doing your best matters.

Refuse to be influenced by anyone or anything that will cause upset or lead to disappointment. Listen to those who have always had your back, and walk away from waste and excess.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Stick to basics, be moderate and focus on selfimprovement. Step away from drama or anyone trying to drag you into something that isn’t your favored choice. Stay focused and busy trying to do and be your best.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Intelligence, fortitude, creativity and common sense will help you reach the level of success you are striving for. Exercise your right to challenge and hold accountable those who lack the moral fiber required to be in critical positions.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do whatever is necessary to maintain balance and integrity. Align yourself with people who are there for the benefit of mankind and looking for ways to make the world we live in a better place. Participate in order to make a difference.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Personal and emotional uncertainty will surface if you overanalyze situations or let drama take over and spread infectiously through you and those around you. Put the ego aside, and recognize what needs to be done. Be part of the solution, not the problem.

Birthday Baby: You are perceptive, engaging and thoughtful. You are creative and conscientious.

sorin elementary | IAN SALZMAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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SPORTS

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 8, 2019 | The Observer

Sports Authority

nd volleyball

Cut NFL officials some slack Liam Coolican Sports Writer

Whenever someone’s favorite team loses, their first move is often to criticize the officials. I will freely admit, I have been guilty of this in the past, although I try to be more conscious of it. Officiating in every sport is a very difficult task. You have to know the very complicated rulebook cover-to-cover, be prepared to make extremely close calls, and expect verbal abuse from coaches, players and fans.

However, football is one of — if not the hardest — sport to officiate. They also get more flak than referees of any other sport, and it has only gotten worse in 2019. Fans, many media members, coaches and the players have all taken to social media to voice their displeasure with officiating crews.

It peaked at the end of last season, when the referees in the NFC championship missed what appeared to be a blatant pass interference call in the fourth quarter, which would have likely put the Saints in position to kick a game-winning field goal with no time left. But instead, the Rams would go on to win in overtime. In the offseason, the NFL tried to adjust these concerns, as the owners voted to allow pass interference to be reviewed by replay, but even that has been met with controversy, as many of these calls are very close and have led to complaints from coaches. The NFL has also have implemented rules to protect the safety of players, including expanding the rules for protecting quarterbacks and kickers. While many fans have bemoaned these “soft” new rules, anything the NFL can do to protect its players is a good thing. Football is leaving players with serious brain damage, as so many recent studies have shown. CTE is a serious problem, and the NFL is taking major steps towards addressing it. Fans and media members should take a hit from a 250-pound linebacker before they claim these rule changes are “soft.”

Admittedly, there have been some very poor calls that have changed the outcome of games. In the Lions-Packers matchup in Week 6, the Lions led nearly the entire game, but defensive linemen Trey Flowers was called twice for illegal hands to the face, a 15-yard penalty. Neither of those should have been called, as his hands were on

9

the defender’s shoulder pads.

Both calls ended up helping extend a Packers drive, in a game that ended up being a 23-22 Packers victory. Jaguars defensive end Calais Cambell was flagged for lowering his helmet on a play where he didn’t even make contact with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson last week.

However, making some of these calls is very difficult.

False starts are one of the most common penalties, but when it actually comes down to it, determining whether the offense or defense moved first is not easy, especially when most of these penalties involve tiny movements.

Another example is spotting the football. On most plays, it is not too difficult, but on a short yardage situation, with all 22 players in the box, the referee has almost no angle to see whether the runner made the line to gain. Yet, they are still expected to make a call. Football referees have to routinely make calls that they have next to no angle on, and, as legendary coach Vince Lombardi said, “football is a game of inches.”

There is always contact on the line and downfield on a pass play, and they have to determine whether or not there is enough for a penalty.

In other sports, while officiating is still very challenging, it pales in comparison to how difficult it is to referee football. In most other sports, the positioning of the referees is designed for them to have the best angle on the play, as plays are very repetitive. In baseball, the umpires usually make the same calls play after play. Same goes for basketball, although there is a bit more variety. In football, the plays happen so quickly and they are often calls that could go either way.

None of this is an excuse for the poor officiating, and the league should hold its officials accountable for blatant missed calls such as in the NFC championship game.

This piece is instead meant to point out the fallacy of fans and media complaining about almost every flag and to emphasize that the new rule changes, while the officials are still adjusting, are a step in the right direction towards protecting the safety and long term health of the players.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcooli@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

ND to end road trip agianst FSU, Miami (Fla.)

By HAYDEN ADAMS Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame team hits the road this weekend for the back half of a four-game road stretch.

After splitting a pair of games last weekend against Syracuse and Boston College, the team travels to Tallahassee and Coral Gables, Florida to face off against Florida State and Miami (Fl.), respectively.

The Irish (16-6, 9-3 ACC) got off to a hot start in conference play, beginning the ACC season with a program-record six straight wins. A large part of Notre Dame’s success this season has been the play of underclassmen, who have stepped up to replace key contributors from last year’s graduating class. Head coach Mike Johnson praised the performance of his young players.

“Really, if you look at our team, there’s three players who started in their role before [this season], and they’re young ones,” Johnson said. “So I think it’s fallen on everyone to step up and I think they have … I’m proud they’ve done it.”

Unfortunately for the Irish, they have since gone 3-3 in conference after the opening win streak, including dropping a 3-2 heartbreaker at home to then-No. 23 Louisville. However, Johnson says he doesn’t read much in to win streaks and is only concerned with what lies ahead.

“I just think every day, we show up, we work to get better,” Johnson said. “I think the league is getting

better too, so we just continue to improve and compete.”

The Irish will first take on Florida State (16-6, 9-3 ACC), who is in the midst of a four-game winning streak. The Seminoles are led by outside hitter Payton Caffrey. The 6-foot senior has racked up 291 kills on the season, with four of her teammates recording 100-plus kills, three of whom have over 140. By comparison, the Irish concentrate their offensive firepower among three players. Sophomore outside hitter Charley Niego leads the team with 294 kills while sophomore right-side hitter Sydney Bent and freshman outside hitter Caroline Meuth have posted 270 and 267 kills, respectively.

Despite the strong offensive production of a few Irish players, the entire team has contributed on defense this season.

Notre Dame is sixth in the ACC in blocks per set, third in opponent hitting percentage and the leader in the conference in digs per set. Johnson said the coaching staff has worked hard to ingrain a strong defensive mentality within the program.

“It’s an important part of our program,” Johnson said. “We believe if we teach well — and a lot of defense is mentality and heart — and if we can exemplify that, our defense can good. But we’re also always investing in our offense as well.”

The Irish offense will be tested against Florida State, as the Seminoles lead the ACC in blocks

per set and allow the fourthlowest hitting percentage. After Florida State, the Irish will travel from the top to the bottom of Florida to take on Miami. The Hurricanes (9-11, 5-7 ACC) have struggled this season and mustered only a 4-3 record at home.

Their defense has been a struggle this season, recording the fewest digs per set and allowing the 3rd-worst hitting percentage and blocks per set in the conference.

Even so, Johnson takes both opponents seriously and doesn’t have his team preparing for the weekend in any unusual fashion.

“I think those guys are good. Of course, it’s tougher on the road, [so] we’ll have to play well on the on the road,” Johnson said.

“Preparation is preparation, and we don’t change it a whole lot. Our Tuesdays are like our Tuesdays and our Wednesdays are like our Wednesdays, and we try to be consistent in our approach week-to-week.”

Regardless, Johnson simply wants his team to bring the intensity and work ethic that has led them to their current success.

“Really, we just take it one day at a time, improve every day we can in practice and play well on game day,” Johnson said. “And if we play well, then things will be good.”

The Irish take on the Seminoles at 6:30 p.m. Friday and the Hurricanes at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

Charlie Ortega Guitarro | The Observer

Irish sophomore outside hitter Charley Niego spikes the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 shutout victory over Valparaiso on Sep. 4 at Purcell Pavilion. Niego recorded nine kills and 13 digs in the outing.

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

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Sports

The observer | friday, november 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Matchups Continued from page 12

win but not cover.

David Kramer In what many are calling “The Game of the Century,” the LSU-Bama showcase will collide two lethal offenses in Tuscaloosa. With the return of Tua, I expect the NFL-caliber receiving core of the Tide to explode under pressure.

Granted, the LSU offensive line and running game poses a potential breakthrough, but Alabama will stand its ground.

Alabama wins and covers.

As a Minnesota native and diehard fan, I find myself beaming at the sight of the Golden Gophers as a relevant squad again. Analysts have every reason to avoid predicting an upset in Minneapolis: the Gophers’ incredibly weak schedule thus far, Penn State’s impenetrable defense and the Nittany Lions’ strong victories against Michigan and Iowa.

However, the Gophers deserve support during their best season in my lifetime. Gophers upset!

The downward spiral of the Wisconsin Badgers leaves me boggled by the updated Vegas line. Of course, the Badgers remain undefeated at home this season, including an impressive showing against Michigan. Iowa held Michigan and Penn State to 27 points combined, so I expect a low scoring game and a narrow Iowa victory. Iowa wins outright.

Aidan Thomas The logic says pick LSU, which has largely dominated their schedule and owns three wins over teams that were in the top 10 at the time.

However, Alabama has shown few weaknesses this year, and they’ll make it nine-straight wins over the Tigers. With a late field goal to push it out of reach, Alabama wins and covers.

With a home crowd supporting the best Gophers football team in a long time, Minnesota will engage in a lower-scoring tussle with the Nittany Lions. Penn State has too good a defense to bet against, however, and I think they kick a late game-winner.

Penn State wins but does not cover.

Giving up 24-points-in to Illinois and being embarrassed by Ohio State has shaken my confidence in Wisconsin. Iowa has an elite defense, and while their offense is sluggish, I think they have the ability to score enough on this struggling Wisconsin defense. I think the Hawkeyes slow down Jonathan Taylor and win a low-scoring battle. Iowa wins outright.

Liam Coolican LSU has proven to be a very

good team this season, but Tua Tagovailoa will likely be back this weekend, Alabama just has more talent than LSU on both sides of the ball, and knowing Nick Saban, he has his team fired up about being ranked third. On top of all that, the game is at Alabama, so I expect the Tide to win and cover the spread.

Minnesota is undefeated, but their best win might be against Illinois, although you can only beat the teams you play. Penn State, on the other hand, has proven itself against quality opponents, including wins on the road against Iowa and Michigan State. Given that this game is in Minnesota, and Penn State may be looking ahead to Ohio State, I think it will be close, but Penn State pulls it out in the fourth quarter. Penn State wins but doesn’t cover.

Wisconsin has faltered mightily in back-to-back weeks and has another tough game against Iowa. However, both their losses were on the road in tough environments, and as good as Iowa’s defense has been, they have had no offense against stout defenses like Michigan and Penn State.

Iowa will score less than 10 points, and Johnathan Taylor will run for a couple touchdowns, helping Wisconsin win and cover.

Nate Moller LSU-Bama is always one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the year, and this one will not disappoint as two of the top teams in the nation square off in Tuscaloosa.

Unlike in past years, this year has the potential to be a much more offensive battle. I think Tua Tagovailoa will bounce back from his injury and make some big plays late to win the game. Alabama wins but doesn’t cover.

While the Gophers are much improved since the beginning of the year, their biggest win to date is against a very mediocre Nebraska team. The Gophers will need all the help they can get to beat a high caliber team in Penn State. TCF Bank Stadium will be rocking early, allowing the Gophers to keep it close, but Penn State will pull away in the second half. Penn State wins and covers.

The Hawkeyes have struggled mightily to produce any offense against quality teams.

In fact, the offense put up only three points against Michigan and 12 points against Penn State. I think they will struggle against Wisconsin, too. Both defenses will make it close, but the playmaking ability of Jonathon Taylor is the difference. Wisconsin wins but fails to cover.

Patrick Gallagher Two Heisman candidates will clash in a matchup that has the potential to be an instant classic. Both Joe Burrow

and Tua Tagovailoa are among the best quarterbacks in the nation, but Alabama’s defense gives them the edge as they rank ninth among all teams in average touchdowns allowed.

The Tide will not cover but will earn a hard-fought victory.

Minnesota is arguably the most surprising undefeated program as they are coming off of an average 7-6 season; however, they have greatly benefited from a weak schedule. On the other hand, Penn State has proven their skills with statement wins over Iowa and Michigan. The Nittany Lions are ranked second in scoring defense, and I expect them to stifle the Gopher’s offense. Penn State should easily triumph and cover.

Coming off two horrible losses to Ohio State and Illinois, Wisconsin desperately needs a win. Iowa has a great rushing defense, but Jonathan Taylor will be hard to contain. The game promises to be a psychical and low scoring affair, and I think Taylor will make all the difference. The Badgers win but do not cover.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu, Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@nd.edu, Dominic Gibson at dgibson2@ nd.edu, David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu, Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu and Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

W Bball Continued from page 12

free-throw line’ — kind of the fundamentals, things that we can control,” McGraw said.

In terms of execution, McGraw said she was more concerned w ith her team’s defense than she was w ith the offense.

“We can’t control putting the ball in the basket, but how many points are we going to give up? Can we shut dow n the 3-point shooters?

Can we play defense? ” she said.

The game against Fordham revealed many of the team’s strengths and weaknesses, McGraw said.

She said the game was especially helpful in starting to understand the mentalities and play ing st yles of many of the freshmen.

“They’re ready. They’re excited, but you never know what that’s going to look like in a game situation,” she said of the freshmen.

“We didn’t have an ex hibition game this year, so that was unfortunate. This was their ver y first time under the lights.”

The Irish w ill look to continue to spread the wealth on offense, as four different Notre Dame players scored double-digit points.

Leading w ith 14 points were sophomore Katly n Gilbert and freshman Paid Advertisement

Sam Brunelle. Not far behind were freshman Anaya Peoples w ith 11 points and grad student Destinee Walker w ith 10 points. The w in was a true team effort, and the Irish w ill need more of the same as their season progresses.

Mov ing for ward, the team w ill be facing another non-regional opponent in Loyola Mar yland.

According to coach McGraw, the team is going to stick to the game plan and w ill not be preparing any differently to how they normally do.

The Loyola Maryland women’s basketball team is a part of the Patriot League and is currently unranked.

The team is led by 15-year head coach Joe Logan. Last year, the Greyhounds finished their season with a 7-24 record.

Loyola Maryland is not the most challenging game on Notre Dame’s schedule, but it will be a test, nonetheless.

The Irish always come into the season with lofty goals and high expectations. That fact remains the same, even with a new team that is just getting used to playing with each other.

Looking to make their record 2-0, expect a hard fought game from the Irish. Tip off is 6:30 p.m. in the Purcell Pavilion.

Contact Inigo Yturralde at iyturralde@nd.edu

SPORTS

Book Continued from page 12

nowhere near the upper echelon of quarterback play he was expected to have coming into this season. He threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns against the Hokies (5-3, 2-2 ACC), but completed only 29 of 53 passes (54.7%) and threw two interceptions, with a third interception called back on a questionable roughing-thepasser penalty. His first interception came in the red zone on an underthrown pass right to a Hokies linebacker, and the second came again on an underthrown pass into double coverage.

Book also failed to capitalize on two touchdown opportunities to junior tight end Cole Kmet, overthrowing him both times. What’s more, on the offense’s first drive of the fourth quarter, down 20-14, it took a targeting penalty and a questionable defensive pass interference penalty against the Hokies, plus the aforementioned roughing-the-passer call, to keep the drive alive, which ended in a missed Doerer field goal.

Even so, despite all the struggles the Irish offense endured, they strung together an 87-yard touchdown drive that included two fourth-down conversions and lifted Notre Dame over a scrappy Virginia Tech team.

Had the Irish collapsed on that final drive as many, myself included, probably believed they

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 8, 2019 | The Observer

would, this season could have spiraled into ugly territory as the team would begin to tear itself apart. However, Book managing to overcome his mistakes and successfully marching the offense downfield is cause for relief.

All due credit to senior wide receiver Chase Claypool for the incredible clutch plays he made while racking up eight receptions for 118 yards. Kudos as well to offensive linemen graduate student Trevor Ruhland and junior Josh Lugg, who stepped in admirably for injured starters junior Robert Hainsey and senior Tommy Kraemer. But it was Book who made the play to win the game, and that’s the way it needed to be.

Even throwing it to Claypool or Kmet for a touchdown pass to go up wouldn’t quell all the doubt, as it would likely be dismissed as either of them making yet another fantastic play.

However, Book took the ball and put the team, and essentially the season, on his shoulders. After the offense gave up a 98-yard scoop-and-score from their own goal line to end the first half, Book still decided to tuck the ball and use his feet to get across that goal line. In doing so, he showed even after an enormous emotional letdown from the prior week, even when struggling with turnovers, even with his confidence dipping and even when the pressure is at its greatest, he had just enough to will his team to a win. JUST enough.

Ian Book is not a Top-10 Paid Advertisement

quarterback, and his naming as a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is absurd, but dang it, if he doesn’t lay his heart and soul on the line for his team. Notre Dame isn’t going to make the College Football Playoff, and Irish fans simply have to accept that. However, they should take some semblance of positivity from Saturday’s win.

That final drive was a seasonsalvaging drive. The kind of drive that brings a team back together after an identity-shaking loss. The kind of drive that reaffirms a team’s confidence in its coaches and its leader on offense. The kind of win that swings the momentum back in a team’s favor as it readies for a lengthy and physical November slate with matchups at Duke, home against Navy and Boston College and on the road against Stanford.

While none of those teams are world-beaters, a loss to the Hokies would provide great concern as to whether or not the Irish could defeat any of them.

But Notre Dame persevered and showed that they wouldn’t go quietly when, to quote the great George Gipp, “the team [was] up against, when things [were] wrong and the breaks [were] beating the boys.” Notre Dame went out there and won just one for the players, the coaches, the students, alumni and subway alumni. And, in no small part, we have Ian Book to thank for it.

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

Hockey Continued from page 12

the first period ahead 2-0.

However, the Irish were able to erase the deficit, knotting the score at 2-2 with 13:46 remaining in the second period. The Gophers were able to respond just 42 seconds later when sophomore for ward Garret Wait netted his first goal of the season on a twoon-one opportunity, giving the home squad a 3-2 advantage. With the clock winding down in the second period, Irish sophomore defenseman Nick Leivermann fired a shot from the distance which slipped past Moe to knot the score up yet again at 3-3. The goal was Leivermann’s second of the game. Just over a minute into the third period, the Irish scored again, after another defenseman, sophomore Charlie Raith fired a shot from just inside the point that would find twine, putting the Irish up 4-3. The Irish would score once more on an empty net in the third to finish the second game 5-3, remaining undefeated.

Irish head coach Jeff Jackson would comment on how Morris’ production has progressed throughout his time at Notre Dame.

“I think he’s getting progressively better,” Jackson said. “He certainly made some big saves for us. Early, especially early on, on Saturday when we went down I mean if we had given up the third goal it might have been a totally different game but he made some big saves for us and then made big saves in the stretch too to hold the lead.”

Jackson also commented on the victor y against Minnesota noting how impressed he was with four of his defenseman putting points on the board in the contest.

“Leivermann is starting to gain some confidence and he’s starting to show what he’s capable of doing and part of that is certainly on the powerplay. But I mean if you have guys that can shoot the puck from the top and get puck through to the net, it gives more respect than to the for ward or to the defensemen to where the for ward’s open up a little bit more down low so having that threat up top certainly helps,” Jackson said. “Yeah that’s kind of rare [to have four defenders score]. But you know we’re starting to grow as a team, I mean we’re tr ying to see how guys are contributing.

Some of the younger guys are starting to step up right now which helps us a lot and that includes some of those defensemen that we’re talking about. Guys like [freshman for wards] Trevor Janicke and Jesse Lansdell. … Janicke and Lansdell both starting to

11

show some positive signs as far as the young guys go, and then the young defensemen, whether its Leivermann or Charlie Raith. ... It’s always positive when we get production from the back end because it’s so hard to score five-on-five anymore that if your defensemen aren’t involved in the play then you’re not going to score ver y much.

So from that regard I thought we did some good things inconsistently on Friday night, but Saturday night I though you know we played much better after we started slow.”

After their matchup this weekend against No. 9 ranked Ohio State (6-1-1, 2-0 Big Ten) the Irish will not return home until late November, when they come back on Nov. 29 to take on Bowling Green.

These two teams share a bitter relationship, considering the Buckeyes were able to get the best of the Irish three times last season in the four meetings. The only win the Irish were able to muster up was at home, but that only came after they lost the first game of the series.

The Buckeyes are coming off of a four-game win streak after defeating Mercyhurst and Michigan in a two-game series. The Buckeyes’ only loss of the season came at the hands of Omaha who defeated them 2-1 in the Buckeyes home stadium. Despite this one loss, the Buckeyes have not given up more than two goals in each of their contests this season. Jackson detailed what his team needs to focus on heading into the matchup against a team with such a structured defensive set.

“Much different team than what we played last weekend.

We’re going from playing on the big sheet against a team that’s highly skilled and fast into a team that’s got a lot of ability but they’re also ver y structured and ver y good defensively and have got really good goaltending, so I don’t think they’ve given up more than two goals a game so far this year,” Jackson said. “I think they’ve been under two ever y game or two or less.

Last year we only scored four goals on them in four games so they’re a ver y hard team to play against as far as the way they play the game. They’re ver y well coached and they do a lot of really good things defensively. They really create turnovers which plays into their other part of their game which is transition, and their power play is good as well.”

The puck will drop Friday at 8 p.m. to start the first game. The second game will start at 7 p.m. Saturday. Both games will be played inside the Compton Family Ice Arena.

Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu

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The observer | friday, november 8, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

football

hockey

Book salvaged ND Irish ready for conference season against VT series facing Ohio State Hayden Adams Associate Sports Editor

Three minutes and 22 seconds.

That’s how much time was left on the clock Saturday evening when No. 15 Notre Dame trailed Virginia Tech 20-14 at home.

That’s how much time Notre Dame’s offense had to put together a go-ahead and possibly gamewinning 87-yard touchdown drive. That’s how much time senior quarterback Ian Book had to, at least momentarily, silence the doubters.

Three minutes and 22 seconds to save Notre Dame’s season.

Fast forward 2:53 on the game clock, and Book is dancing into the endzone, tossing the football over his shoulder and putting his finger over his lips, shushing all those who ripped into the El Dorado Hills, Calif., native after an abysmal showing the prior week against No. 14 Michigan.

Capped by an extra point by junior kicker Jonathan Doerer — thanks in large part to a clutch

low-snap recovery by freshman punter and holder Jay Bramblett — the Irish (6-2) survived an upset bid to keep alive the their 16game home winning streak, the third-longest in school history.

To be clear, an exciting finish to a game that shouldn’t have been close in the first place doesn’t atone for the Notre Dame offense’s mistakes in any game to date. In fact, in the six games against Power Five opponents prior to Saturday, dating back to the 30-3 Cotton Bowl loss to Clemson, Book threw for a combined five touchdown passes. Still, while many will (rightly) criticize Book and the offense for a lackluster performance against a Virginia Tech team that was blown out 4510 by Duke, coincidentally Notre Dame’s next opponent, the way in which they managed to climb out of the hole they dug themselves into says something about the resiliency of the Irish and Book in particular.

Book’s performance was see BOOK PAGE 11

By JIMMY WARD Associate Sports Editor

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

Irish senior defenseman Tory Dello fires a shot during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Michigan on Feb. 13 at Compton Ice Arena.

Notre Dame set for home opener after road victory

By INIGO YTURRALDE

Roundtable: NCAA predictions

By LIAM COOLICAN, PATRICK GALLAGHER, DOMINIC GIBSON, DAVID KRAMER, NATE MOLLER, AIDAN THOMAS

Sports Writer

see W BBALL PAGE 10

see HOCKEY PAGE 11

nCAA

nd women’s basketball

After a road victory against Fordham on Tuesday, Notre Dame returns home to play Loyola Maryland on Friday at 6:30 p.m. For the Irish, this will be the first game back in the Purcell Pavilion since last year’s second round NCAA victory over Michigan State.

Head coach Muffet McGraw is looking to use the team’s first win to keep building momentum for future games. The quick turnaround from one game to another is most likely new to the freshmen on the team, marking the start of the season as a trial-by-fire for the young players.

McGraw explained both practice and play is going to require a lot of attention to detail.

“We want to look at the stats sheet and say, ‘We set good screens, we’ve rebounded well, we had more assists than turnovers, we shot well from the

The No. 5 ranked Notre Dame hockey squad w ill return home this weekend for a series against Ohio State.

The Irish are coming off a w in and a tie against Big Ten rival Minnesota (3-4-1, 0-11 Big Ten) on the road this past weekend.

The first contest ended in a 2-2 draw. W hile each team had several power play opportunities, both goaltenders had strong show ings, as Irish senior goalkeeper Cale Morris ended the game w ith 23 saves in the net, while Gophers freshman goalkeeper Jared Moe made 31 stops. Ultimately at the end of the first game, the contest would remain unsettled at 2-2.

In the second game the Gophers would jump out to an early lead, finishing

Sports Writers

We’re back with another edition of The Observer Roundtable predictions. For the first time in AP Poll history, we have a pair of battles between 8-0 squads, so we will all take our cracks at those games. All of us will be looking for better success in our upset picks, after we went a clean 0-6 last week. Enjoy this week’s predictions!

CURRENT STANDINGS Dominic — 27 pts David — 26 pts Aidan — 24 pts Liam — 22 pts Nate — 20 pts Patrick — 20 pts

MATCHUPS Observer File Photo

Irish junior center Mikayla Vaughn guards the ball during Notre Dame’s 92-50 victory over Bethune-Cookman on March 23.

#2 LSU @ #3 Alabama (-6.5) #4 Penn State @ #17 Minnesota (+6.5) #18 Iowa @ #13 Wisconsin (-8.5)

Dominic Gibson This LSU vs. Alabama clash could be one for the ages, as these two SEC titans will battle it out in Tuscaloosa. Joe Burrow and the Tigers have looked solid all season. However, a healthy junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and a talented team will be too much for the Tigers.

The Tide win and cover.

In a huge Big Ten matchup, both Penn State and Minnesota have been tough teams to play against. I expect a rather low scoring affair to be tilted more towards the Nittany Lions.

The Gophers will keep it close, but the stout defense of Penn State will prove to be too much, and their offense will do just enough to secure the win. Penn State wins but does not cover.

Despite losing two games in a row, the Wisconsin Badgers will be hungry for a win and well rested coming off of a bye week. Much like the Penn State and Minnesota bout, I don’t think the score board will be lit up. I expect Wisconsin to see MATCHUPS PAGE 10